March has definitely been a whirlwind of events here at We Are Epic, there are lots of projects and partnerships which are developing, and streams of work which are taking shape.
Powwow: The sequel!
On the 5th of March we had our second Pinpoint Powwow, which sought to follow up on conversations and actions from the previous event in October 2017. The event was also a good opportunity for us to meet new artists and practitioners that didn’t attend the last one; giving them a chance to network and share with ourselves and others.
We had a slightly smaller group compared to the first PinPoint Powwow, but it was an incredibly productive evening which allowed the participants to discuss what exactly is needed from a robust and resilient artists network.
The feedback from the artists has helped us consider what works in these networks and what doesn’t; meaning that we can tailor future events to be responsive to the direct needs of our participants, for example sessions around funding, finances and broadening your current networks.
The people that we met were absolutely brilliant and hopefully some very strong partnerships will come out of this in the future!
Kathryn, our Evaluator, will be posting her evaluation materials in another blog very soon, so keep a look out for it!
Be There At The Start
Later in the month myself and Lou also attended Unlimited’s: Be There At The Start, at the Attenborough Arts Centre. This was a brilliant day, with some highlights from the panel discussions being an insight into Juliet Robson’s latest work, which allows you to hear the sound of stars, and an in depth discussion from funders such as Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
This was my first time at an Unlimited event and it was such a great day, we got to network and make connections, as well as celebrate those artists chosen for the next lot of Unlimited Awards.
There were lots of exciting leads and potential partnerships to follow up on, which we will keep you posted about.
‘I will not be your inspiration porn’ – Jackie Hagan
The day was topped off by Jackie Hagan’s incredible show; This Is Not A Safe Space. The show was absolutely hilarious, heartbreaking and deliciously scathing, all at the same time. Jackie discussed her own experiences as a working class, D/disabled person and those of people she knows, revealing as she describes it ‘the voices of proper skint disabled people’.
The piece was very intimate and Jackie’s use of audience interaction, storytelling and recorded conversations, was extremely powerful. I recommend seeing this show whilst it is touring!
